Wembley Stadium railway station
|events1 = opened as Wembley Hill |years2 = 8 May 1978 |events2 = renamed Wembley Complex |years3 = 11 May 1987 |events3 = renamed Wembley Stadium |latitude=51.5543 |longitude=-0.2863 }} Wembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley, Greater London on the Chiltern Main Line. At a quarter of a mile (400m) south west of the sports venue it is the nearest station to Wembley Stadium. History First Wembley Stadium station The first station to bear the name Wembley Stadium, at ( ), about half a mile ENE of the present station, was opened by the LNER on 28 April 1923 as The Exhibition Station (Wembley). It had one platform, and was situated on a loop which forked off the Chiltern Main Line between Neasden Junction and Wembley Hill station (now Wembley Stadium station, see below); it then curved round in a clockwise direction to regain the Chiltern Main Line at a point slightly closer to Neasden Junction. The connections faced London to allow an intensive service with no reversing. It was renamed several times to become Wembley Stadium Station in 1928.http://disused-rlys.fotopic.net/c1475068.html The station closed on 18 May 1968. Traces of the line can be seen on maps and in aerial photographs. The line was normally used only for passenger services for events at the stadium or the Empire Pool within the estate built for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Temporary sidings led into the "Palace of Engineering" exhibition hall where both the Great Western Railway's locomotive Caerphilly Castle and the London and North Eastern Railway's Flying Scotsman were displayed with each claimed by its owners as the most powerful passenger locomotive in Britain. Present station map of railways in the vicinity of Wembley Stadium (shown here as Wembley Hill)]] , Wembley Central, Wembley Stadium and Wembley Park stations, and the A406 North Circular road (bottom right)]] On 20 November 1905 the Great Central Railway opened a new route for freight trains between Neasden Junction and Northolt Junction. Passenger services from Marylebone began on 1 March 1906, when three new stations were opened: Wembley Hill, and South Harrow. On 2 April 1906 these services were extended to Northolt Junction. Wembley Hill station was renamed Wembley Complex on 8 May 1978 in order to indicate its proximity to the nearby sports facilities, as well as to a recently-opened conference centre, before getting its present name Wembley Stadium on 11 May 1987. There were originally four tracks with the two platforms on passing loops outside the inner non-stop running lines; the current two-track layout dates from the 1960s. Services Train services are operated by Chiltern Railways and run from Marylebone towards High Wycombe and Birmingham Snow Hill. The service to central London is quicker than from other stations in the area. Trains can reach London Marylebone in ten minutes. During busier periods (usually due to an event at the stadium) a seven carriage shuttle operates between Marylebone and Wembley Stadium using the turnback siding just to the north of the station to return to London. Future developments The proposed West London Orbital would call at this station. The underground railway would run between Brent Cross and Surbiton. The railway is still at the proposal stage and is neither approved nor funded. The proposed North and West London Light Railway (NWLLR),possibly a light rail service, would also call at this station. Gallery File:Wembly stadium station 2001.JPG|Wembley stadium station in 2001, before it was modernised File:Wembleystat2.JPG|The station with the 'White Horse Bridge' above it Notes Transport links London bus route 83, 92, 182, 224 pass the station and route 18 and night route N18 8mins walk to the station. External links *Wembley Stadium at Chiltern Railways }} Category:Railway stations in Brent Category:Former Great Central Railway stations Category:Railway stations opened in 1906 Category:Railway stations served by Chiltern Railways Category:DfT Category F1 stations Category:Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena Category:Railway stations serving football stadiums in the United Kingdom